French ship makes first Western European transit of Hormuz since Iran conflict

Source: RFI, Radio France International

French ship makes first Western European transit of Hormuz since Iran conflict

A French-owned container ship has crossed the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route that has been largely restricted since the start of the Middle East conflict.

Issued on: 03/04/2026 - 13:17

The Maltese-flagged Kribi, owned by French shipping group CMA CGM, passed through the strait on Thursday, according to MarineTraffic data analysed by the news agencies AFP and Reuters. ... It appears to be the first known transit by a major European shipping group since early March.

Iran sharply limited access to the Strait of Hormuz after US-Israeli strikes on 28 February, triggering retaliation and disrupting maritime traffic across the region.

Before the conflict, around 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the narrow waterway between Iran and the Musandam Governorate, an exclave of Oman.

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Read more: https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20260403-french-ship-makes-first-western-european-transit-of-hormuz-since-iran-conflict